Apparatus for applying liquid to textile materials



Dec. 24, 1935. w WHITEHEAD 2,025,079

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LIQUID TO TEXTILE MATERIALS Filed June 14, 1929 INVENTOR, Wi Hiam Wh'neheqd A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 24, 1935 ArPAnATUs FOR APPLYING LIQUID T TEXTILE MATERIAL William Whitehead, Cumberland, Md., assignor I to Celanose Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application June 14, 1929, Serial No. 370,763 s- 1 Claim. (01. 91-51) This invention relates to process of and apparatus for applying a liquid to filaments, yarns or threads while they are travelling to a winding device.

An object of myinvention isto supply means for applying liquids to filaments, yarns, or threads in a substantially uniform manner. Other ob-.

jects of my invention will appear from the following detailed description. 1

Often it is desirable to apply a conditioning liquid to yarn as it is passing to a winding device. The means formerly proposed for this purpose comprises a wick that dips in a bath of the liquid to be applied and over which the yam' or threadpasses. However the amount of liquid that is applied to the yarn in this manner varies greatly, and this variation is objectionable since it causes variation in the properties ofthe final product. 4

I have found that it the liquid is supplied to the yarn or thread in a controlled and exhaustible amount, and the yarn or thread is caused to take up such amount so as to exhaust the supply of the same, substantially uniform application of the liquid to the yarn or thread is attained.

In accordance with my invention, I apply to filaments, yarns or threads of any suitable kind a substantially uniform amount of a liquid by causing the same to pass over a device that presents an exhaustible supply of the liquid, the

rate of supply being such that the yarn or thread takes up substantially the whole of such supply.

Any suitable filaments, yarns or threads may be treated by my invention. Thus they may be in the form or artificial filaments produced by extrusion of a spinning solution through orifices, or they may be in the form of yarns of associated filaments, threads, artificial bristles, straw, etc.

The filaments, yarns or threads may be made of any suitable material, such as cotton, natural silk, wool, reconstituted cellulose, etc., but a particularly important application of my invention is in the treatment of yarns or filaments made or organic derivatives of cellulose such as organic esters of cellulose or cellulose ethers. Examples of organic esters of cellulose are .cellulose acetate, cellulose iormate, cellulose proplonate and cellulose butyratewhileexamples of celluloseethers are thyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose. These yarns or filaments may be made by extrusion of a solution of the organic derivatives through orifices into an evaporative atmosphere, as in dry spinning, or into a precipitating bath, as in wet spinning.

This invention is of general application and may be employed for applying liquids of any kind to the filaments or yarns. This liquid may be a conditioning liquid containing lubricants such as mineral oil, animal oils or vegetable .oilsfor mcreasing the pliability ofthe yarns or threads. The fiuid to be applied may be a sizing liquid containing resins, soaps, starches,'glues, etc. forimparting strength to yarn, especially for yarns employed in making warps. The liquid may be a dyeing liquid containing a solution of a suitable dye in water, organic solvents or other liquids.

Another application of this invention is for applying a fugitive tinting fiuid to the yarns or filaments to impart a color to the same for identification purposes, which color may be easily removed by washing. Another example of a. fluid that may be applied is an aqueous or alcoholic solution of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide for saponifying organic esters of cellulose.

While any suitable device for applying the liquid in controlled and exhaustible quantities may be employed, I prefer to use a disc that is rotating in a plane at right angles to the path of the filaments or yarns. The lower edge of this disc preferably dips in a bath of the liquid to be applied, whilst the filaments or. yarns pass over a part of the edge of the disc that is not submerged in the liquid. In order to obtain such supplies of the liquid on the disc so that the yarn in its passage may substantially entirely exhaust the same, the disc should rotate at a relatively low rate so that the peripheral speed of the same is materially less than the linear I yarns or threads during their passage to a winding device. Thus the filaments or yarns may have the liquid applied thereto immediately after their formation in a spinning machine and in their passage to a winding and/or winding and. twisting device such as a cap spinning device. If desired the liquid may be applied to the yarn during its passage from package to package, which package hank, etc.

maybe a bobbin, pirn, cone,

To further illustrate my invention, but without being limited thereto, reference is had to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device wherein a disc is employed,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic showing of my device employed for applying a liquid to artificial filaments as they are leaving the spinning device, Figure 3 shows a modified form of disc in which the periphery is continuous but of variable thickness,

Figure 4 shows another modification of the disc wherein the periphery is interrupted.

Referring to Figure l, I indicates the disc having the edge 2 and rotating on the spindle 3. This spindle 3 is connected by suitable gearing to a prime mover, and since the disc I is rotated at a relatively slow speed suitable reducing gears will be required to connect the same with the prime mover. The lower part of the disc I dips in the bath 4 containing the fluid to be applied, and this fluid is contained in the trough 5. The yarns or filaments 6 to be treated are caused to pass across the edge 2 of the disc I, where they take up the conditioning fluid 4 occurring thereon.

In Figure 2, I indicates the casing of a spinning machine containing the spinneret II which extrudes the filaments I2 that pass around the guide roller I3. As the filaments I2 leave the spinning cabinet I0, they pass over the edge of the disc I which supplies a lubricant contained in the trough 5, and the associated filaments 6 pass over the roller I4 to the cap spinning device I where they are wound and twisted.

As an illustration of a mode of employing my invention, the following is given. The disc I having a diameter of 2" and a thickness of A is rotated at the rate of 1.2 revolutions per minute,

varying amounts of dyeing liquid, lubricating liquid or any other finishing or treating liquid to the yarn or thread. For this purpose the disc I, instead of having a continuous and interrupted circumference, may have one or more portions of the circumference cut away, as is shown in Fig. 4 so that the thread or yarn in its passage across the disc, contacts with 'the periphery of the disc only during a part or parts of the revolution of the disc. As a variation, the yarn or thread may 5 be caused to pass in contact with several discs, a number of which or all of which are so shaped that the thread in passing across these discs, makes contact with one disc at a time only or any number at once. By this means, intermit- 1Q tent effects may be applied to the yarn with respect to periodic changes of color or combination of colors.

Another useful modification of the invention is the use of discs of continuous periphery but of non-circular shapes and/or variable thickness. Thus a circular disc which has a thickness of at one portion of the disc and a thickness of A" at the other, the thickness changing gradually from maximum to minimum, may be employed.

Such a disc is shown in Fig. 3. 'By this means, periodic variation in the amount of dyeing, lubricating liquid or other treating liquid may be effected where the speed of the running of the yarn or thread is uniform. Such means of application may be employed to apply uniform amounts of treating liquid and the like where the passage of the yarn or thread is correspondingly periodic such as in the winding of pirns, cones or other packages. To obtain periodic variable effects elliptical discs may be employed, in which case the peripheral speed of the disc with respect to the point of contact thereof with the yarn or thread varies and thus variable amounts of liquids are applied.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of i1- lustration, and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

Apparatus for applying a liquid to yarns or filaments comprising means for containing a bath of liquid to be applied, a disc having the lower portion of its periphery dipping in said bath, the periphery of said disc being smooth and of variable thickness, means for rotating the disc and means for causing the yarns or filaments to pass across the edge-of the disc in a path that is at an angle to the plane of rotation of the disc. I

WILLIAM WHITEHEAD. 

